Lie + ignorance --> control --> exploitation --> slavery
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That is a sad and fascinating picture if real.
It is pretty clearly made with leather working tools to my eye, which would make sense, I am sure most folks had those around in the 1800s.
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Some were more professional produced.
(I swear the poster wanked for every exclamation mark. I was going to say that I couldn’t imagine the type of person who would want to own one of those abominations, but maybe I can.)
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Some confusion in the comments here, so just to clarify: the app is a broad platform for government services run by the KSA Ministry of Interior. It’s not run by a corporation (though there are likely contractors). It’s not primarily a people tracking app.
It’s still not okay, and I’m all for pressuring the state of KSA to… well… I’m all for the state of KSA to be destroyed*, so there’s that.
*Meaning it should not be a kingdom. And I do not believe in military interventionism. Other asterisks and daggers may apply.
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Because they aren’t?
There is a difference between declining to enthusiastically enable behaviours (for fun, and profit!) and ‘taking a stand against internal laws’. Maybe the line is fuzzy, and grey, and maybe you can’t or won’t see it, but it is there.
Edit: as an aside, I keep reading 'Absher" as 'A Basher". Seems appropriate.
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I Am Not A Lawyer, but the app developers might be able to sue Apple or Google if the app was removed, on the grounds that, in a Saudi context, there is no third party. The guardian exercises his legal powers of guardianship to consent to the processing of the personal data of individuals under his protection.
.
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I dunno, maybe the UN Human Rights Council could weigh in on the topic or something.
Oh, that’s right…KSA is Chair of the UN Human Rights Council. Never mind.
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There’s no law against (for example) using HTML renderers other than Mobile Safari’s, but Apple won’t carry apps that do so, and that doesn’t give app developers grounds to sue them.
Some would argue – in fact, the author frequently does argue – that Apple shouldn’t be able to block any app from their platform. But as long as they can and do, there’s a case that they can and should use that power to distance themselves from this sort of thing.
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Google says it won't remove Saudi government app that lets men track and monitor their female property
Might as well state it like it is.
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So an app that spoofs your location in Absher, would that be against the ToS? Asking for a friend.
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I guess that, “Don’t be Evil”, isn’t the same as “Be Good”. Is Google kind of “True Neutral” now?
@RickMycroft That first “Runaway Slave Patrol” is made with such obvious love, pride and care. Sickening. The second one (on Worthpoint) is a friggin’ replica; because there isn’t enough real evil in the world? I guess that there is a market for replica Nazi regalia too, so this shouldn’t be too surprising.
@GagHalfrunt “… in a Saudi context, there is no third party.” That is depressingly true. Of course, this was very much the situation in the UK only a century or so ago; but at least we’ve improved a bit since then.
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Be Best…
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Am I the only person who thinks Goodle’s position here is f***ed up and unacceptable?
Then again, they’re still working on a PRC-friendly variant because ya gotta go where the money is no matter how much it harms people, right? Acruing wealth at any price is the most important thing these days.
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From the article you linked:
Meanwhile, she knew Saudi diplomatic staff members were looking for her, and Interpol had already come calling to her flatmate.
TIL Interpol has a Saudi office that tracks down escaped Saudi women. 0_0
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